What is the initial ED treatment of symptomatic carotid artery dissection? What is the reason?
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The initial treatment of CA dissection is to place the patient in cervical spine immobilization. This prevents the propogation of the dissection by preventing further traumatic injury to the vessel. The first pharmocologic treatment is anticoagulation, to prevent lysis of the vessel by clotting and intimal clotting which prevents healing of the dissection.
Needs immediate anticoagulation to prevent thrombus formation and possible stroke.
You must give Aspirin. You should start Heparin.
Anticoagulation with intravenous heparin followed by warfarin has generally been accepted as medical management to prevent thromboembolic complications.
Those with expanding or symptomatic dissecting aneurysms and/or those who are refractory to medical therapy are candidates for angioplasty and stent placement.
Head CT, further angiographic study
anticoagulation w/heparin
neuro/neurosurg eval
BP mgmt
the treatment is anticoagulation in order to prevent a stroke
Anticoagulation to prevent the development of thromboemboli
Treatment for carotid artery dissection includes anticoagulation with intravenous heparin followed by warfarin to help decrease thrombus formation and embolic events after dissection.
Anitcoagulation with heparin